Orson Scott Card, Jerry Pournelle, Larry Correia, and Tom Kratman interview

[billc]

This is an interview with four sci-fi and fantasy authors discussing the trends, politically, in science fiction writing. I am putting it here, as opposed to the library because of the political nature of the discussion. The interview includes one of my favorite new authors Larry Correia, author of "Monster Hunter International."

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/is-science-fiction-getting-more-conservative/

Card noted that he wasn’t at all sure where the trends even stood in science fiction these days — because he had long since stopped paying attention. “I left SFWA [the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America] in 1987,” he said, “and haven’t looked back. I have very few friends among sci-fi writers and have no idea at all what their politics might be.”

 

[Blindside]

Interesting interview, but as a long time sci-fi and fantasy reader I'm a little confused about what would be "liberal" sci-fi. Er, aside from Star Trek.

Utopias generally fare poorly in sci-fi, they are boring and you need some sort of conflict to actually have a story. Is Heinlein considered a lefty? Certainly he examined a whole bunch of gender and sexual material that doesn't fall within typical "conservative" realms, but much of the stuff is a libertarian bent, and then you have Starship Troopers which is more fascistic (is that a word?) than anything else.

What constitutes "leftist" anyway? Are characters having sex out of wedlock considered "liberal?" That pretty much wipes out most sci-fi. So can anyone point me in the direction of the apparently massively leftist sci-fi genre's main writers?

 

[Omar B]

OSC is someone who's work I enjoy, though his opinions on gay marriage, family planning, etc tows the Mormon Church party line really well. One of the cases where I love the art but tend to stay away from the artist.

 

[zDom]

OSC is someone who's work I enjoy,

Yea, Ender's Game is one of my all-time favorites.

The sequels are ... meh. Interesting at times.

But Ender's Game is a masterpiece.